Book Review: The Pearl Thief by Fiona McIntosh
The Pearl Thief by Fiona McIntosh
Pages: 492
Publish date: October 29, 2018
Publisher: Penguin Random House
ISBN: 9780143785095
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD
Severine Kassel is asked by the Louvre in 1963 to aid the British Museum with curating its antique jewellry, her specialty. Her London colleagues find her distant and mysterious; her cool beauty the topic of conversations around its quiet halls. No one could imagine that she is a desperately damaged woman, hiding her trauma behind her chic, French image.
It is only when some dramatic Byzantine pearls are loaned to the Museum that Severine’s poise is dashed and the tightly controlled life she’s built around herself is shattered. Her shocking revelation of their provenance sets off a frenzied hunt for Nazi Ruda Mayek.
Mossad’s interest is triggered and one of its most skilled agents comes out of retirement to join the hunt, while the one person who can help her – the solicitor handling the Pearls – is bound by client confidentiality. As Severine follows Mayek’s trail, there is still one lifelong secret for her to reveal – and one for her to discover.
From the snowy woodlands outside Prague to the Tuilieries of Paris and the heather-covered moors of Yorkshire comes a confronting and heart-stopping novel that explores whether love and hope can ever overpower atrocity in a time of war and hate.
The Pearl Thief:
I didn’t know what to think of this book before I went in. I had heard lots of amazing things about Fiona McIntosh through work before, but none of her books ever stood out to me. But The Pearl Thief stood out like a shining star, it’s a historical fiction novel that includes flashbacks to world war two as well as a little crime and romance. It was the perfect combination, and I’m so glad that I did pick up The Pearl Thief because I adored it.
The Pearl Thief by Fiona McIntosh follows Severine Kassel as she tries to navigate her life after the war. It’s been nearly 18 years, but she is still haunted by everything that went down – and I would be too. When she is asked by the British Musem to look at some pearls that have come in – she is taken back and everything that she thought was safe isn’t anymore. The Pearl Thief explores harrowing tales of Severine survival of world war two and the heartbreak that she had to endure. At times it was very hard to read. But it was also powerful, engaging and I could not put it down.
I really enjoyed Severine as the protagonist of The Pearl Thief. From the very start, her strength was heartbreaking, but also so powerful. As the novel goes on the reader is able to see everything she had to endure during the war. And gosh did it tear me apart. Severine tried to forget her past, but when she sees the pearls again, everything comes back. And while she might be revisiting her past, it’s also a chance for her to find strength in herself and put right all the wrongs that her family had to endure. 
Severine’s characterisation throughout The Pearl Thief was so well done. She is taken on so many different paths. But, then they all meld together and make her not only a strong character but also a strong protagonist. When Severine was first introduced, she does come across as cold and very distant. It’s like she is there to work and go through life. But as the novel goes on and Severine has to face her past, she becomes real and tangible.
One of the many things that I always see when people are talking about World War II books is that saying ‘the stories already been told’ or ‘haven’t we had enough.’ And The Pearl Thief proves both theses sayings wrong. WWII has so many different layers that books just scratch the surface. You think you might know all the stories, but you don’t. I learned so much more from reading The Pearl Thief. I had no idea about the Kindertransport system and after I finished the book, I had to delve deeper. The reader is also able to see the impact that WWII had on Prague and Czechoslovakian which is so fascinating and intriguing.
Throughout the novel, the reader is also introduced to many different characters that play a role in Severine’s life. They are not just supporting characters. But also have so much depth in themselves and each has their own story. Along with this, McIntosh is able to create place is such a vivid and immaculate way. Not only is the reader traveling to the past, but also from Prague to Paris and London.
One of my favourite things about The Pearl Thief is that Severine saves herself. She went through a lot! And I mean a lot, but she saves herself and she does it with purpose. While she has people helping her along her along the way, she is not only determined but thrives to try and make the best the of things. To be the one who is on top when it’s all done and dusted.
Overall, The Pearl Thief by Fiona McIntosh is a powerful novel about a young women’s survival when her whole world is torn apart. It’s about sheer determination, heartbreak, and the power that a small group of people has. It’s about survival, death, and fighting for what is right. If you are looking for an insightful, page-turning, historical fiction novel, then this one is for you.
Have you read The Pearl Thief by Fiona McIntosh? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? What is your favourite book that is about WWII? Let’s Chat!
